A New York City couple will wait a little longer to retire to their Modockowando Trail cottage. The Edgecomb Planning Board denied their expansion application during the Sept. 7 meeting. Sue and Lou Ventura submitted their plan to move their 629 square foot cottage and expand it to 1,625 square feet. But the square footage numbers did not calculate enough to abide by the shoreland zone 75-foot road setback ordinance. 

The couple and planning board spent nearly 75 minutes discussing various permutations in making the project fit without success. Besides expansion, the Venturas want to weatherize the cottage for year-round habitation.  “I’m 69, and my husband is 74. We want to get something built to enjoy life up here,” Sue Ventura said. 

Instead, the planning board’s best advice was to seek a variance. Sue Ventura will work with Code Enforcement Officer George Chase in preparing the couple’s appeal.

In other action, the board continued work toward revising land use applications. The same form is currently used for all applications – site plan review, shoreland, subdivisions, and building permits. The board is considering revision to remove possible confusion for applicants. Vice Chairman John Dunlap volunteered to attend an Oct. 4 Maine Municipal Association planning session in Augusta.

The planning board meets next at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21 in the conference room.